Lacing-hook



(No l fiodel.)

L. B. COBB.

W'ITEE 5 s E 5, I Ilfizel fur UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEANDER B. COBB, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LACING-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,287, dated August13, 1895.

Application filed August 3,1894. Serial No. 519,321. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEANDER B. COBB, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Sufiolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lacing-Hooks; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and .exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in lacing-hooks, and particularlyto those used on boots and shoes, and has for its object to obviate thewearing of the edges of the clothing or the wearing and polishing of thehook itself by the clothing, as is the case with those in common use.

This invention consists in providing a head or plate having suitablemeans to firmly fasten it to the boot or shoe or other materialon whichit is to be used. This head is-provided with the hook proper, which isformed with a portion substantially at right angles to the surface ofthe head and another portion extending in a line substantially parallelto the surface of the head. This latter portion is preferably curved ina plane substantially parallel to the surface of the head, and also isprovided with a ball projection or enlargement on the extreme end of thesame.

The invention further consists in minor details of construction, as willbe fully set forth hereinafter and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my inventionand form an essential part of this specification, Figure 1 represents aprospective View of my improved hook in its preferred form, showing oneof the means which may be employed to attach it to the material uponwhichit is used. Fig. 2 rep resents a plan view of the same. Figs. 3 and4 represent, respectively, similar views to those shown in Figs. 1 and 2of the hook provided with another means to fasten it to the mate rial onwhich it is to be used. Figs. 5 and 6 represent, respectively, similarviews to those shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the hook provided with anotherform of head or plate. Fig. 7 represents a plan View of a modified formof the hook proper, showing a circular head or plate. Fig.8 representsthe manner of placing the hooks of the material to be laced and also themanner of lacing the same.

Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on thedifferent parts of the drawings.

The head or plate a is made circular in form, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 7,and 8, and may be concave on its under side, if so desired, or it ismade ring-shaped, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, T-shaped, as shown in Figs.5 and 6, or it may be made in any otherrequivalent and desired form asis most convenient and best suited for the purpose intended. This heador plate is provided with a fastening device I) to secure it to thematerial on which it is used, which fastening device may be made in theform of prongs, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in theform of an eyelet, asshown in Fig. 3, or it may be made in any other equivalent, well-known,and desired form as is best suited to secure it to thematerial.

- To the head or plate is attached the portion 0 of the hook, whichportion is substantially at right angles to the surface of the head orplate a, and may be made, in one.

piece with the head or plate or firmly attached to it in any desiredmanner. The portion (:1 of the hook, which portion forms the hookproper, is attached to or made in one piece with the portion 0 andextends at right angles to said portion, being substantially in a planeparallel to the surface of the head a and across the same. It ispreferably curved in said parallel plane, so that the convex side ofsaid portion will be toward the meeting edges of the material to belaced, but it may be straight, if so desired. When the portion at iscurved, it may be made concentric with the head a, as shown in Figs. 2,4, and 6, or it may be made eccentric with the head, as shown in Figs. 7and 8. The curved portion (1, when eccentric to the head a, may be madeso that the concave side of said portion will be towardthe center of thehead, as shown in Fig. 7, or it may be made so that the convex give it amore finished appearance.

hen my improved hooks are to be used upon boots and shoes, they areattached to the same in such a position that the convex sides of thecurved portion (I, when such portions are curved, will be toward themeeting edges of the quarters c e of the boot or shoe, and the free endof the portion (Z, or the ball thereon, will extend downward toward thetoe of the boot or shoe, or, in other words, so that the line of thehook portion on either side of the meeting edges of the quarters will bein a line parallel to said edges of the quarters, as fully shown in Fig.9.

By referring to Fig. 8 it will be seen that in lacing the boot or shoethe lacing f is first placed under the portion d of the hook and thenback over such portion to the nexthook in the opposite series of hooks,causing the lacing to surround the hook and to project above any portionof the same to substantially cover it and to come into contact with theclothing of the person wearing the boot or shoe. This will prevent thehooks from wearing the clothing, also the clothing from chafing,wearing, and polishing the hook.

Heretofore the hooks in common use have been arranged so that thelacings are placed under the hook and the hooks allowed to project abovethe lacings, thus causing the clothing of the wearer to come in contactwith the hooks,,which on account of their sharp edges wear out the edgesof the clothing, the clothing at the same time chafing against thehooks, causing the japan or other finish on the hooks to be rubbed otfand the hooks to become polished, which materially injures theirappearance by making them more conspicuous.

I do not wish to confine myself to the use of any particular form ofhead or plate portion or to any particular form of fastening device, asthey constitute no essential part of this invention, which relatesespecially to the form and arrangement of the hook proper, whicharrangement causes the lacing to substantially cover, surround, andproject above the hook and adds to the appearance of the Having thusfully described the nature, construction, and operation of my invention,I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim- 1. As a new article ofmanufacture, a lacing hook comprising a head a, a fastening b, and ahook proper consisting of two portions, the portion 0, extending upwardfrom the head, and the portion (1, rounded in cross section, extendingdirectly over the head and curved in aplane parallel therewith, thecircle of the curved portion (1 surrounding a vertical line through thecenter of the head, so that when the lacing is wrapped around theportion (1, it will cover and protect the hook from abrasion, as setforth.

2. The combination of two series of lacing hooks, one series on eachside of the meeting edges of the material to be laced, each hook havingthe head or plate a, the fastening b, and the hook proper formed withportion 0 extending upward at one side of said head or plate, and theportion d rounded in cross section extending directly over the head orplate in a plane parallel therewith, being curved in said parallelplane, substantially as shown,

and for the purpose of causing the lacing hool to cover and act as aprotection for the entire hook except the extreme ends thereof, the endsof the curved portion of each hook being substantially in lines parallelwith the meeting edges of the material to be laced for the purpose setforth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto sign my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

D. E. KEMPSTER, HENRY CHADBOURN.

